The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
One of the greatest challenges in reading RFID tags that are placed on a surface of a moving object in a timed event such as a race, wherein such object surface absorbs RF energy as utilized by the RFID tag. When an RFID tag is placed near a medium that absorbs RF energy, the operational ability and/or operating range of the RFID tag can be negatively impacted. For example, an RFID tag placed on or in close proximity to the human body of the event participant is subject to the interaction of the RF signal to and from the RFID tag and the negative impacts of the body on such RF signals. The RF signal strength received by or transmitted from the RFID tag can be reduced by water or other foreign materials such as dirt or mud that comes in contact with, or in very close proximity to, an RFID tag, or the body of the participant in proximity to the RFID tag. RF absorption from an RFID tag placed in proximity to a human body or on or near a vehicle can significantly limit the operation of the RFID tag, and thereby negatively impact the ability for an RFID tag reader to effectively and accurately read the tag of the participant for identifying the participant and making a determination of the participants time of passing an event detection point.
In addition, RFID tags are often not contained in rigid or protected enclosures. Thus, damage can easily occur to an RFID tag that will affect its ability to communicate properly. All or some of these conditions can prevent an RFID tag from providing a high level of read accuracy in a harsh environment, such as at a sporting event.